Turbine governor



J. C. GARROTT TURBINE GOVERNOR Filed June 1, 1957 Sept. 2, 1941.

JOf/NG. GARROTT 59mm m 8 W Patented Sept. 2, 1941 oF'FioE 2,254,520 7TURBINEGOVERNOR John 0. Garrett, Houston, Tex.

Application June 1, 1937, Serial No. 145,704

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an overspeed governor of a type whichmay be used in connection with turbine generators to control the rate ofspeed of the generator. It seems obvious that the device may be appliedin other fields, however.

An object of the invention is to provide a governor for a shaft whichincludes a statically unbalanced element which will normally rotate in abalanced position with the shaft of the device but which assumes aneccentric position when the shaft rotates at greater than apredetermined speed and whereby such element then serves to control thespeed of the shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide an overspeed governorwhich operates on the principle of centrifugal force to control thespeed of a rotating shaft.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. -1 is an elevational view of the shaft gov ernor comprising anelement of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the governor, the view being shown atright angles to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the shaft governor shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a partial section of the governor showing a structural detail.

Turbines of the impulse or reaction type are used extensively as primemovers to utilize the inherent advantages thereof, as is well known inthe art. The present invention is illustrated in Fig. 1 as used in aturbo-generator unit, but it is to be understood that this particularuse of the invention and the following particularized description arenot in any way limitative of the adaptability of the device of theinvention for use with other prime movers and equipment driven thereby.

The governor 50 is shown in elevation in Fig. 1 and certain of thedetails thereof are shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The main body 90 of thegovernor is a hollow cylinder, the internal bore of which is reduced.This reduced bore is provided with threads 93 as seen in Fig. 3 wherebythe governor unit can be threadably attached to the end of the shaft I5,the speed of which the device is to govern. The body 90 has its wallscut away at 94 to provide an opening to receive angular shaped weights95 which have a knife edge contact at 96 with hardened steel blocks 91attached to the flange 98 near one end of the body 90. Positioned withinthe body is a sleeve H30 having a cup-shaped outer end "H in which isfixed an anti-friction bearing. A thrust member I04 is mounted withinthis hearing and in this manner is utilized as a thrust bearing toimpart thrusts from sleeve I00 to an arm at the end of the governor towhich said member I04 may be connected.

One of the features of the present invention resides in the provision ofa disc H0, seen in figures of the drawing. This disc is mounted upon acylindrical extension HI on the face of the flange 93 of the governorunit 50. The face of this disc ll 0 is channeled at H2 to receive acompression spring H3 which surrounds a pin H4 which is threaded into acylindrical extension HI. An adjusting nut H5 receives the nut of thespring H3 so as to control the tension of the compression thereof. Thisspring forces the disc H0 into contact with the cylindrical extensionIll.

Diametrically opposite the pin H4 an opening in the disc H0 is elongatedas indicated by the dotted line at H6 in Fig. 3.

A pin H1 is screwed into the extension Ill opposite to the pin I I4 andis slidably fitted within a radial opening in the disc III]. This con-'struction permits the disc H0 to be moved axially of the pin H4 and H!by the application of sufficient pressure to overcome the tension of thespring H3. In this manner the disc HI] may move to an unbalanced oroff-center position relative to the shaft 15 with which it is rotated.

The elongation of the openings within the disc H0 permit the center ofgravity of the disc to be displaced toward the spring H3 so that as thespeed of rotation of the shaft increases beyond a predetermined limit,which is controlled by the compression on the spring H3, the disc H0will move to an off-center position. Such position is indicated by thedotted lines H6 of Fig. 3.

In operation the governor unit 50 will control the rotation of the shaftand prevent an excessive speed thereof due to the fact that the disc H0will become unbalanced in moving to an eccentric position. This movementof the disc H0 can be utilized in any desired manner to control thesource of power which is effectin the rotation of the shaft l5 uponwhich the device is mounted.

The overspeed governor will automatically reset itself when the speed isreduced within the limit which has previously been predetermined.

What is claimed is:

1. An over-speed responsive governor comprising a body adapted to befixed to a rotating shaft and having a cylindrical portion, a discsurrounding said cylindrical portion, said disc having an axial oblongopening of which the ends are respectively concentric and eccentric withthe peripheral surface of the disc and of a width to slidably fit uponthe body, a radial opening in the disc from the concentric surface inthe oblong opening, a pin fixed to said bodyand slidably passing throughthe radial opening, a. spring surrounding said pin and :having its innerend in engagement with the disc, and means for adjustably compressingsaid spring to apply a force to hold the disc in concentric relationwith the body at normal speeds.

2. An over-speed responsive governor ecom- :the body at normal speeds.

shaft and having a cylindrical portion, a disc having an oblong openingthrough which the cylindrical portion passes, a portion of said openingbeing concentric with the periphery of the disc, whereby said disc isunbalanced, an annular channel in a radial face of thedisc, a radialopening through the walls of aid channel from the concentric surface ofthe oblong opening, a pm fixed to said body and slidably passing throughsaid radial opening, a spring within said channel and surrounding saidpin and an ad- .justing nut on said pin to adjustably apply a.

'force to hold the disc in concentric relation with JOHN c. .GARROTT.

